Vehicle-wheel.



UNITED STATES;

"PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL I-I. WHITE, oF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, AssIeNoR To WHITE STEAM WAGON COMPANY,

OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF VEHICLE-WHEEL. 'A

SPECIFICATION forming partei' Letes Patent No. 699,994, dated May 13, 190e.

Application filed November 29, 1901` Serial No. 841116l (No model.)`

To a/ZZ wil/01M it may con/cern:

Be it known that L'PAUL ILWHITE, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Indianapolis,l in the county of Marion andState of Indiana,-

have invented certain new and "useful Improvements in Vehicle-Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

The object-of my said invention is to produce a wheel of greatstrength and capacity especiallysuitable-.for Yuse with heavy vehicles-such asare'used for transportationV purposes, as drays and the like-and which shall also be very` durable and require but few repairs andfwith' but a Vmoderate initialv similar reference characters indicate similarv parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wheel embodying my said invention,.some portions being -broken away or shown sectionalfor the purpose of more clearly illustrating theconstruction; Fig. 2, an edge'elevation thereof especially illustrating the form of the surface of the sectional tire; Fig. 3a vertical sectional'view as' seen' when looking in the direction indicated by the arrows from the dotted line 3 3 in Fig. 1; an'd Figs. 4 and 5, detail transverse sectional viewsof the spokes of the wheel,showing the form thereof in crosssect-ion at the points indicated by the dotted lines 4 4 and 5 5, respectively, in Fig. 1.

The wheel-center, as above indicated, is a unitary structure and is cast from steel. It has a hub 10, a'series of spokes 11, and a rim or felly 12. Upon the spokes at a point intermediate the hub and rim I also prefer to form a flange .13 for the purpose of applying a power connection for driving the wheel when used in heavy automobile delivery-wagons or other traction-vehicles. The spokes 11 are V-shaped in cross-section for the purpose of giving the same a maximum ofurigidity and strength with a minimum of weight and at the same time providing a large surface with which the flange 13 may unite thereto. Said spokes also preferably diverge or branch at ,derstood number.

the ends, as shown, thus the better supporting the rim and bracing and strengthening the wheel as a whole, as will be readily un- The hub 10 is cast in theformof a hollow shell, bei-ng cored out, as bestV shown in Fig. 3. Said-hub may ybe bored out to receive the axle-spindle directly, in which case thecentral cored-out portion will serve as a lubricant-chamber, or a skein -may be fitted therein, as is the practice inthe case of heavy lwooden-hubs.

The tire is composed of ai suitable number kof sections, also formed from steel, which are securedito,the'riml'of the wheelby means of rivets 15. Ihave shown the tire as composed offour of these sections 14, which I consider to be a convenient and .economical The traction-'surfaces of these tires or tire-sections', which are offa considerable width, are of a peculiarform.V Said surfaces contain suitable channels or grooves running circumferentially of the tireandhaving lateral wings or branches,forming cavities or pockets which are adapted to engagewith any protuberances which may be present on .the surfaces over which the `vehicle is traveling, such as cobblestones and: the like. .The branches of adjacent" grooves occupy a staggered relation to eachother, as'shown, which obviously increases their effectiveness as well as providing for a better distribution of the metal of which the tire is composed. This construction of tire-surface is very efficient in the matter of preventing slipping, thus giving the vehicle increased power, as will be readily understood;v

Ordinary continuous tires, especially where the vehicle to which they are applied is engaged in the carrying of heavy loads and particularly where they are subject tothe impact or hammering action ofcobblestone-or other uneven or hard pavements,become elongated and therefore loose and require resetting. In

my improved wheel-the rimofthe wheel-center is sufiiciently strong, -so that no addition to its strength by means of-.a tire is necessary, and I am therefore enabled to make the tire sectional. In doing this I make each of the sections slightly shorter than the proportion of the wheel-rim to which it is attached, thus IOC leaving slight spaces between the ends of the Several sections. Any such elongation of the tire parts as results from use is thus provided for, and the tires will neither become loose nor break the bolts or rivets by which they are attached to the wheelrim. They are therefore enabled to endure harder and longer use than continuous tires.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A vehicle-Wheel having its central portion formed integrally of cast metal, and comprising a central hollow hub, a series of spokes V-shaped in cross-section, a peripheral rim surrounding said spokes at their outer ends, and a sectional tire connected to said rim, all

substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, in a vehicle-wheel, of an integral central portion comprising a hub, I

spokes and rim, and a tire composed of sections secured to the outer surface of said rim, the traction-surface of said tire having grooves with short lateral branches forming pockets, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a vehicle-Wheel, of a central portion, and a tire secured to the periphery thereof, said tire having grooves in its traction-surface, and said grooves having branches forming cavities or pockets arranged in staggered relation to each other, substantially as set forth.

In Witness Whereof` Ihave hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 22d day of November, A. D. 1901.

PAUL H. WHITE. [L s] Vitnesses:

CHESTER BRADFORD, ALBERT F. ZEARING. 

